How to care for begonia at home

If you are a beginner florist, then begonia will be the right choice for your home green corner. This plant is not only beautiful, but unpretentious. Everyone can learn how to care for it, and it, in turn, will give its sunny appearance and refreshing scent.

In order to properly care for begonia, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules of planting, watering and find her a comfortable place in the house. If you take into account all the nuances, the plant will delight you about 4 years.

What conditions are needed for begonias

Begonia room grows in pots. They must be located away from heating appliances. Best of all, the plant feels in a specially designated area for plants. The optimal air temperature for begonias is room temperature.If it is summer outside the window, then it should not exceed 20-22 degrees; if it is winter, it should be below 15-16 degrees.

Indoor air must not be dry. Otherwise, it is better to include a humidifier. As for lighting, it should not be too bright. Sunlight is necessary for every plant, but for begonias, its excess can harm. Especially protect the plant from direct rays, which dry up the delicate leaves and petals.

How to water a begonia

At different times of the year, the irrigation regime for begonias is different. If in the winter she does not need a lot of water, and she feels good in slightly damp soil, then in the summer it should be watered more often. But, nevertheless, it is necessary to ensure that the soil is not too wet, otherwise the roots may rot.

The same applies to the period of flowering begonias. When the petals bloom, she needs more moisture than usual. But after dropping the inflorescences, you can return to the previous drinking mode.

It is impossible to say the exact amount of watering, it depends on the air quality and the time of year. Your plant itself will make it clear when it feels comfortable, and when the watering mode should be changed.

Pay attention to the quality of the water with which you are going to irrigate the begonia. Normal plumbing is not suitable because of the high chlorine content. To reduce it, boil, let the water through the filter or let it settle.

Begonia should be watered no more than once a day and preferably at the same hour. In the summer it can be done every day, and in the winter 2-3 times a week. To make the plant comfortable, water it with warm water. Refrain from spraying the leaves, as they may change color.

Fertilizers for begonias

An important point in the care of room begonia is dressing. It helps to prolong the life of the plant, more often delight us with its flowering, saves from pests and diseases. But fertilizer is equally important for young shoots grown at home.

To choose the right feeding, you need to look for the inscription "for indoor plants", and also pay attention to the composition. It should contain magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron. Avoid chlorine. Today in the gardening shop presents a wide selection of fertilizers that meet all the necessary requirements.In addition, there are special formulations designed specifically for this type of plant.

You should also pay attention to the time for which fertilizers are intended. Some are introduced during the budding period, others in the second half of flowering. On average, begonia is fertilized once a month, but if there is a need, you can do it more often, but with a less concentrated solution.

Begonia planting

To plant begonia at home, you must purchase the tubers of this plant. They are sold in any store selling garden goods. You also need land for indoor plants, fertilizer for tubers and a few pots of different diameters.

The optimal size of a tuber is a little larger than a matchbox, you can also ask for seedlings with a sprout that has broken through, so begonia will start to delight you much earlier with its flowering.

Before planting, it is necessary to prepare a pot: put it on the bottom of the expanded clay, and then the soil. The tuber should be laid on the ground with the flat side down; the roots will appear from there. The other side has a concave shape and an uneven surface, which form the kidneys.Purchased tuber is not worth much to sprinkle with earth, otherwise it may not give shoots. It is especially important to leave the middle open so that the shoots can safely make their way up.

The soil around the tuber should be moistened periodically, and the pot should be kept in a well-lit place at room temperature. When the sprout rises 5 cm from the ground, it should be half asleep. After a month, the begonia will acquire the features of an “adult” plant, and soon may bloom.

The first flowers hold on for a long time - summer and almost the whole autumn, so you will have time to enjoy its unusual velvety petals. Also, begonia can be planted in the garden for the warm season, just pick the right variety and choose a place protected from direct sunlight.

Breeding begonias

Begonia has received deserved popularity among gardeners. She is not whimsical in care and blooms the entire warm period of the year and gives beauty and joy. Propagating begonia is also quite simple.

Seed propagation
Growing begonias with seeds should start in January. Sunflower seeds are poured on the soil and covered with glass or film.They should be irrigated with a spray bottle and kept in the light, but not in the sun, and at room temperature.

A month later, the first shoots will appear, they should be transplanted into a pot with a small diameter. For all the time that begonia grows, it needs to be transplanted 3 times. By the end of August, the first flowers will appear that will delight you all autumn.

Begonia, grown from seeds, is prepared for wintering at the end of October. It is necessary to remove dried and yellowed leaves from it and rearrange it in a place well lit by artificial light.

Reproduction by cuttings
To get the cuttings of begonias, it is necessary at the beginning of winter to plant tubers, which are called royal. After about a month, the cuttings should be carefully detached, and the accretion sites should be disinfected.

After that, they need a little dry and planted in the soil. The roots of the cuttings will give about 3-4 weeks after planting, and then they can be distributed in separate pots. At the same time, new tubers are not formed, and it is necessary to care for such begonias as well as seed ones.

Reproduction tubers
To get several begonias from one tuber, it is necessary to divide it into 2 or 3 parts so that 1-2 pieces are left on one piece.After that, they are planted in the soil, lightly sprinkled with earth and periodically watered. A month later, the roots are formed, and the sprouts are increased by 3-5 cm. Now they can be planted in small pots, and after a while to move in containers with a large diameter.

Before the beginning of winter, the tuberous begonia should be cut at a height of approximately 2 cm from the ground level, pull out the roots and clean well. During the crescent, the tubers need to be dried, and then put them in a box and sprinkle with peat. So begonia stored in the cellar or refrigerator until the time of planting.

Begonia Transplant

As the plant root system develops, the capacity in which it is planted needs to be changed. If you immediately put it in a large pot, then the part located under the ground will begin to rot. Therefore, experts recommend at least once in two years to replant begonia.

Begonia transplant plan:

• put a newspaper on the table and put a plant pot next to it;
• take the knife and run it along the walls, disconnecting the ground from them;
• then turn the pot over the newspaper, gently holding the begonia at the base;
• remove the roots and shake them off the ground;
• lay the bottom of a new pot with claydite and cover it with 1 cm of earth;
• put begonia in it and sprinkle gently with soil, fixing the roots and part of the stem;
• press the ground a little, 2-3 cm from the edges of the walls should remain.

Begonia after a transplant is experiencing stress, so provide her with comfortable conditions. The air temperature in the room should be at 22 degrees, the lighting is not too bright, and the air is humid. You should not immediately water the plant after transplantation, wait a few days until it "takes root" in a new place. Within a couple of months, watering it should be no more than once every seven days.

If you decide to arrange a small botanical garden at home or just love indoor plants, begonia must appear in your apartment. This plant does not need special care, but it blooms very beautifully for a long time. It will bring comfort and summer mood to your home.

Video: the basics of successful begonia care